The Eastern Summit County Planning Commission says three factors will make or break Ivory Home’s proposed project in Browns Canyon: traffic, water and infrastructure. Ivory Development, a division of the Salt Lake-based company, has been working with the county government to potentially create the Lost Creek Community Zone, a new zone in the county code that would allow Ivory Development to build up to 3,000 homes in Browns Canyon. Creating the Lost Creek Community Zone is only the first step in the process. If the zone is approved, Ivory Development would still need to go through negotiations with the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission and Summit County Council to draft a master planned development agreement. Ivory Development and the Planning Commission met in a work session on Thursday to discuss the development team’s vision for the Browns Canyon community and to answer lingering questions about the project. It was the second time the proposal had gone before commissioners, who have said they’re willing to work with Ivory Development as long as the company keeps its commitment to following the local process instead of approaching the state Legislature for approval. The development team presented revised portions of the code amendment based on the commissioners’ feedback during last month’s meeting, including a change in which parcels are eligible for the Lost Creek Community Zone. Planning commissioners previously expressed concerns about a stipulation in the proposed amendment that would have allowed any property owner within 1 mile of Lost Creek to apply for the new zone. They said they were nervous that other developers would take advantage of the zoning ordinance to create a much larger residential or commercial project than the current Ivory Development proposal. As a result, the development team proposed earmarking particular parcels as eligible for the Lost Creek Community Zone. The change would limit inclusion in the zone to a handful of properties around the two pieces of land Ivory Development owns, preventing developers from attempting to use the zone along other parts of the creek. The green parcels indicate properties that would be eligible for inclusion in the Lost Creek Community Zone, while the yellow outlines show the area where Ivory Development is proposing its specific project. Credit: Courtesy Ivory Development The updated amendment also includes a stipulation that any developer proposing to rezone properties to the Lost Creek Community Zone, including Ivory Development, must provide an infrastructure analysis and phasing plan to the county. The two plans are intended to ensure developers are unable to disrupt the infrastructure services, especially sewage and water, that would be installed as part of Ivory Development’s project. The creek itself would serve as a starting point for the neighborhood’s preserved open space, with developers describing the creek as a green belt where a neighborhood center would be built. Density would be highest in the community’s center, and the lowest density would be slated for the development’s outskirts. Ivory Development representatives said there would be a few larger lots for estate homes in the lower-density areas, but most of the project would involve mixed housing types, like apartments, townhomes and small cottages. They emphasized that open space preservation, affordable housing and a “well-planned community” would provide benefits to Summit County residents. However, planning commissioners said they didn’t like having open space in the middle of the community and would prefer to see it on the edges of the properties to avoid creating a “suburban” feel. They told developers the project would need to reflect the rural values and character of the East Side to garner any support from the community. “I would ask that you just take a little bit of a deeper view as to how you could make something like this a little more authentic to this community,” said Planning Commissioner Bridget Hayes. Alex Peterson, chair of the Planning Commission, expressed concerns that Ivory Development would build the estate homes first, leaving the affordable housing units to help Summit County residents for last. But the development team said they expected the opposite would be true, explaining that the affordable housing units and apartments would likely be built before the estate homes because they provide more revenue to the developers. The developers would need to use those funds upfront to help cover the costs of installing infrastructure in Browns Canyon, they said. The team also assured the Planning Commission their goal is to create homes for primary residents, not second homeowners or tourists. Planning Commissioner Paul Weller raised traffic concerns. He estimated the development would add another 4,000 cars to Browns Canyon Road, with the assumption that each residential home would have, on average, 1.5 cars. He said the local community was not likely to back the project without a viable traffic solution, which may be difficult to find considering the limited access points on the main road. Weller also echoed worries that the current proposal is only the first step in a massive project and questioned whether Ivory Development would want to extend the neighborhood into other eligible parcels at a future date. “Summit County becomes the runway in order for you to take off into a city,” he said. The development team acknowledged that they want Lost Creek to eventually be incorporated into a municipality for tax purposes, but they said the municipality and the county would both benefit from the tax base. They said incorporation would allow the community to be self-sustaining. However, Hayes said she visited Terraine, one of Ivory Development’s projects in West Jordan, after developers suggested a visit to one of their already established communities. She said she left feeling unimpressed. “It didn’t feel like community,” Hayes said. “It felt like a model home, mish-mashed suburban sprawl, at least in that town center. I think to be successful here, that town center needs to have more of the rural character, the rural appeal. It wasn’t what I was expecting based on what you described, and maybe I wasn’t experiencing it the right way, but I didn’t feel a sense of community.” The Planning Commission briefly touched on water rights, too, with developers saying they’ll have their own water source for the development. Planning Commissioner David Darcey said he also wanted to double-check that the numbers Ivory Development provided are correct and viable in terms of supporting the needs of up to 3,000 residential units and commercial businesses. Planning commissioners did not take any action on the Lost Creek Community Zone on Thursday, but they agreed to sit down with developers for a second work session soon to discuss the details of the development’s proposed density, infrastructure and water access. The post Traffic, infrastructure top list of concerns for Brown Canyons development appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less